


Black Cat at a Photoshoot

by wellsaltedlady



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Photo Shoots, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23016631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellsaltedlady/pseuds/wellsaltedlady
Summary: Marinette finally gets to accompany Adrien to a photo shoot as he promised at the end of Troublemaker. Will a stray cat prompt an accidental reveal?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 5
Kudos: 203





	Black Cat at a Photoshoot

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my wonderful betas Khanofallorcs and savethetreees!

"Any plans for the weekend?" Nino asked Adrien as they walked down the front steps of François Dupont High School on Friday afternoon.

Adrien shook his head. "Nothing I'm looking forward to. I have a photo shoot on Saturday. It’s going to be so boring."

Nino chuckled. "I'd offer to keep you company, but I don't want to be bored. Anyway, I have to DJ a party on Saturday." He looked up and waved when Alya called out his name. "Maybe you can get one of the girls to keep you company."

Adrien looked up and saw Alya and Marinette walking down the steps. He waved and smiled. "Hey, Marinette." Marinette squeaked and waved. "I just remembered that I had offered to have you tag along with me to one of my photo shoots. Would you like to join me tomorrow? I'll be completely bored otherwise."

Marinette stared at Adrien, dumbfounded. A sly grin spread over Alya's face. She elbowed Marinette and said, "Marinette's just the person for the job. You can keep him entertained, right, Marinette?"

Marinette snapped out of her daze. "Oh, yes! Sure! Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

"Parc de Belleville, 9 a.m. See you then!"

\---------

"Good morning, Adrien! Macaron?" Marinette offered the sweet treat to Adrien and the other Gabriel employees, who eagerly devoured them.

Adrien was sporting items from Gabriel's new casual line: a bomber jacket over a white T-shirt, slate jeans and hi-top sneakers. The photographer and crew were setting up in front of concrete pillars decorated with unusual street art. Marinette smiled, enjoying the aesthetic of the urban setting. Having brought along her sketchbook and pencils, she sat down on a nearby bench, preparing for a long day. 

Marinette took advantage of this opportunity to people-watch. Random Parisians, complete strangers, strolling, reading, chatting, feeding the pigeons -- it all provided fodder for her sketchbook. She took particular note of the clothes people wore, their hairstyles and accessories. All of this would provide inspiration for future designs.

Vincent snapped away while Adrien sat on a concrete wall with one leg bent and an elbow on his knee. "Give me the bad boy look, like 'you just don't care.' Now show me a sneer. You're cooler than them! Well, not too much of a sneer. Think, 'I'm all that! Here's where it's at!'" Adrien sighed internally, fighting the urge to laugh at the absurdity of his profession.

After a couple of hours and a few outfit changes, Adrien was ready for a break.

A black cat jumped on the bench Marinette was sitting on. "Why, hello, kitty." It mewed. Marinette closed her sketchbook and set it aside. She asked the cat quietly, "Are you as friendly as my Kitty?" as she reached over to scratch its head. The cat rubbed its head up into her hand and began to scent mark her wrist. "So quickly possessive! I know the type." She felt confident enough in the cat's friendliness to pick it up and place it in her lap. It rolled over and let her give it belly rubs. "What a sweet fur baby." Marinette was so enamored by her new four-legged friend, that she didn't notice Adrien walk right up to her.

Adrien had seen the black cat approach Marinette and her affectionate response to it. Maybe it was that he woke up very early this morning on top of not having enough coffee, or that he'd had it up to HERE with Vincent's quizzical directions, but he was not quite so careful to keep his Cat Noir persona from flaring up at this moment. "He's making me jealous. _I'd_ like some head scratches."

Marinette looked up, startled to see an Adrien with arms crossed and a smirk on his face. After registering her shock, he started to backpedal. He was as shocked as she was that he had said it, so he put on an apologetic smile and reached up to rub the back of his neck. Marinette stared and blinked a few more times trying to process his request, looked down at the cat, looked up again at Adrien and said, "Okay." Now Adrien was startled. He wasn’t expecting that.

Marinette gently removed the black furball from her lap, placing it on the ground. "Your turn is over, sweetie. I have another customer." She watched the cat scamper off, then looked at Adrien with a smirk of her own and patted the spot next to her on the bench. It took a few seconds, but Adrien finally thought, _Oh, what the heck!_ and lay on the bench, putting his head in her lap. Marinette began running her fingers through his hair with one hand, gently scratching his scalp. Adrien looked up at her face, enjoying the sensation. With a giggle, she asked, "Would you like some belly rubs, too, fair-haired kitty?"

With a chuckle, he answered, "I think I'll pass on the belly rubs. How about two hands on my scalp?"

Her smile grew wider. "Greedy kitty."

Their eyes remained locked in playful banter. Her beautiful blues soothing his soul, his gorgeous greens giving her courage and reassurance. As her two hands rubbed his temples, he closed his eyes and said wistfully, "I'm reminded of my mother. She used to rub my head like this when I was little, when she'd lay me down for a nap and I wouldn't want to. She'd calm me like this until I fell asleep."

Marinette’s smile vanished. _Just break my heart, why don't you?_ She stilled her hands, unsure of what to say at the reminder of the loss of his mother.

Opening his eyes, he said, "Hey, don't stop. My turn's not over yet, is it?" Turning his head to look around, he said, "I don't see a line of cats waiting for your services." He gave her a cheeky grin.

Responding with a grin of her own, Marinette resumed her ministrations. "If you get any cheekier, Mister, I'll start picking the nits out of your hair like the monkey that you are."

Adrien opened his mouth and placed a hand on his chest in mock offense. "You wound me, My Lady."

Now Marinette was really shocked. She froze and stared at Adrien. He sat up, his face only inches from hers, and said, "What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Blood pulsing in her ears, she forced herself to speak. "I guess the cat's out of the bag now. The only thing you haven't done is call me 'Bugaboo'."

Now it was Adrien's turn to be shocked. He hadn't meant to reveal himself. He didn't know that Marinette was Ladybug. Incredulously, he asked, "Bugaboo? Is it you?"

Cheeks pinking, she answered, "Yes, Cat Noir. I thought you had just figured me out."

He shook his head, eyes wide. "I was just having fun," was all he could say in defense.

Marinette looked to the side shyly for a moment in thought, then bit her lip when she looked at him again. "They say that there's more than one way to skin a cat, but there's only one way that I'd like to try."

Adrien gulped in apprehension. _She's mad at me for revealing my identity!_ "Wh-what does that mean?"

A slightly devious look dawned on her face. "It means this." She grabbed his collar with both hands, pulled him in and kissed him full on the lips. Letting him go after three seconds, ( _Can he really look more shocked now than he did three seconds ago?_ ) she said, "That was how I kissed you during the Dark Cupid attack."

Adrien was elated. Marinette giggled at the look of pure joy on his face.

"Adrien! There you are!" Vincent hollered at him. "It's time to stop kissing pretty girls and get back to work!"

It took Adrien a few seconds, but he responded, "Be right there!" Looking back at Marinette as he stood up, he asked, "Remember what you said after we defeated Oblivio? 'This conversation is not over!'" He wagged his finger at her with a wink and a smile and returned to the set.


End file.
